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Why are geni pigs called that i maen there not italin and ther not pork either why are they called t2007-11-24 22:19:11

The origin of "guinea" in "guinea pig" is even harder to explain. One theory is that the animals were brought to Europe by way of Guinea, leading people to think they had originated there.[18] "Guinea" was also frequently used in English to refer generally to any far-off, unknown country, and so the name may simply be a colorful reference to the animal's foreignness.[21] Another theory suggests the "guinea" in the name is a corruption of "Guiana", an area in South America, though the animals are not native to that region.[21][22] A common misconception is that they were so named because they were sold for the price of a guinea coin; this theory is untenable, because the guinea was first struck in England in 1663, and William Harvey used the term "Ginny-pig" as early as 1653.[23] Others believe "guinea" may be an alteration of the word coney; guinea pigs were referred to as "pig coneys" in Edward Topsell's 1607 treatise on quadrupeds.[18]

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I thought it was because they cost a guinea and make sounds like pigs, but I was apparently wrong. According to wikipedia, "The scientific name of the common species is Cavia porcellus, with porcellus being Latin for "little pig". Cavia is New Latin; it is derived from cabiai, the animal's name in the language of the Galibi tribes once native to French Guiana.[15] Cabiai may be an adaptation of the Portuguese 莽avia (now savia), which is itself derived from the Tupi word sauj谩, meaning rat.[16] Guinea pigs are called quwi or jaca in Quechua and cuy or cuyo (pl. cuyes, cuyos) in the Spanish of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.[17] Paradoxically, breeders tend to use the more formal "cavy" to describe the animal, while in scientific and laboratory contexts it is far more commonly referred to by the more colloquial "guinea pig".[18]